[Published on Sunday, Feb 1]
BY IRWIN ANGIKI
Education on Bellona Island, Renbel province, is a sad story.
Problems which date back decades continue to persist.
A shortage of trained teachers. Teachers not turning up for class – it could be just for a day, some gone for months.
Resources critical to the student’s learning are lacking or in very short supply. There is no library, or if there is something of the sort, it is only a couple of books on a shelf or piled on top of a table or on the floor. Stationeries is a struggle to maintain.
Classroom buildings are also rotting away and pose risk to students and teachers. Water and sanitation are also a concern.
There are three community schools on Bellona. Two offer only primary and earlier level education – Mataiho and Siva primary schools.
The premier school, Angaiho high school (Bellona CHS) offers secondary up to form-5 and primary, with an ad hoc early childhood class basis.
Island Sun visited Bellona in late November, 2025, and spoke with parents, teachers and students about the island’s education.
Not a positive reply could be found, and all parties had someone to blame.
Most spoken to asked to be kept anonymous due to fear of disturbing the peace, since speaking up is considered provocative and would offend others and invite negative repercussions.
Parents – ‘education here is hopeless’
Many parents described education on Bellona as ‘hopeless’, adding that it is worsening.
A father of three, who asked to be called John, said if he had the means he preferred to send his children to receive education in Honiara.
“But, I can’t because I do not have any money to go and live and support my children in Honiara, or to send them to live with family there and support them,” he said.
John said his only option is seeking education on Bellona for his kids. But, it is a huge gamble for their future, he said.
“Almost everyday, if not everyday, one teacher would not turn up for classes,” John said.
Parents shared that this year the Angaiho school was closed for one whole school-term due to no teacher.
“I don’t know what the problem was, but the school shut its doors for the whole second term. Some teachers were here on the island, and some in Honiara,” one parent said.
“This is unprecedented. We’ve seen few instances where the school started few weeks late, or closed early before the proper ending of the term. But, we’ve never seen the school closed for a whole term,” the parent shared.
Another observation is that teachers do not adhere to daily timetables, and attend at their own whim.
“During days planes come to Bellona, you’d see teachers at the airfield during official school hours. We don’t know if the teacher had a class during that moment but chose to come to the airfield, but we hear our kids say often that they had a class skipped because the teacher went down to the airfield when the plane came,” one parent told Island Sun.
Parents shared that for primary education their choice this year was either Mataiho or Siva since these two schools showed some consistency in their operations.
Teachers – ‘No support from EP, we have our own challenges too’
Teachers spoken to similarly requested anonymity, citing the same reasons parents gave.
While concurring with the parents’ negative stories about education on Bellona, the teachers say parents and public only see one side of the coin and do not know the huge challenges teachers go through as colleagues and as individuals.
“We do not have support from our provincial education provider,” the teachers say.
Two of the schools on Bellona are run by the Rennell and Bellona provincial education provider (EP) – the Bellona CHS and Siva primary school. Mataiho primary school is run under the Seventh Day Adventist EP.
The Renbel EP CEO had not visited the schools in 2025, the teachers said.
Furthermore, matters of concern raised to the education provider’s attention were ignored such as pay cuts to some teachers, unmet claims, irregularities in instructions, finances and schedules, and internal squabbles among staff.
“One other main factor disrupting schooling on Bellona was the unprecedented huge number of deaths in 2025,” the teachers said.
In Bellona the culture surrounding deaths is still strongly observed, whereby activities cease for a day or two following the death of a person as an observance of respect, whether the death happened on the island or abroad.
The teachers said more than 30 deaths occurred last year.
“Other obligations, whether personal or work related also meant some teachers travelled to Rennell or Honiara,” the teachers said.
Mataiho School Principal, Daley Tesu’atai shares that outstanding problems in infrastructure are yet to be addressed by the SDA EP, which include classrooms, staff housing, water and sanitation.
“Teacher postings also have discrepancies which our education provider is yet to sort out or even explain to us. Recommendations sent to our EP are yet to be acted upon,” he said.
Siva school is still waiting for the opening of their new classrooms which were recently completed. The current classrooms are more than 30 years old.
Rennell & Bellona Education Provider – ‘it’s the teachers’ fault’
Renbel education provider CEO, Albert Kaipua, speaking to Island Sun from Rennell last week sympathised with the teachers on Bellona but denied their accusations.
“Firstly, it is false to say I did not visit Bellona last year, because I did, timing the visit with another programme for appraisal.
“The sad truth is teachers on Bellona are simply not performing or working, which is not a new thing. And, I have received complaints from the whole of Bellona about the teachers, and I have been working to address these complaints,” Kaipua said.
He adds that few times he had sat with the teachers in meetings, they had not voiced their grievances to him for them to discuss them and find solutions.
Kaipua said he is looking forward to a better 2026 in which he can work together with the teachers on Bellona to address whatever grievances they have and work to improve education on the island.
He said to date, school grants have been flowing well for schools across the province, with few experiencing delays only due to slow retirement.
Above all, Kaipua said that teachers’ salaries are being paid on time and consistently all year through.
Renbel provincial government – ‘We will investigate and remove non-performers’
Rennell and Bellona’s Deputy Premier, who also looks after the provincial portfolio for Education, Collin Tesu’atai told Island Sun that his government just took office on January 2 this year.
He adds however that he is aware of allegations against the Renbel education provider CEO along with negative reports on teachers on Bellona.
“Our Executive will begin work on our portfolios at the beginning of this month [February].
“I am set on seeing an improvement in education on Bellona. I am aware of allegations against teachers and the CEO, and I will be holding meetings early February when we tour the wards.
“I will see to it that whoever is not working will be removed and replaced with people dedicated and committed to teaching,” Mr Tesu’atai said.
Cycle remains – students continue to be victims
While the blame game continues between the people entrusted to educate students on Bellona, the fact remains that in the end, the ones who are victimised are the students.
There are some glitters among the sand however, with a few students who have managed to escape the vicious education cycle on Bellona by successfully securing academic passage to schools in Honiara or other provinces, and successfully pursuing their studies.
Many who had received education on Bellona are now employed, and a few who spoke with Island Sun expressed that they were ‘lucky’ to have left the island and continued education elsewhere.
While appreciating having learnt a thing or two in the island’s classrooms, they said their academic journey got a proper start elsewhere.
But, the concern is it should not be like this.
Every child on Bellona has a right to education, not just education but quality education.
So, as much of a cliche as it may sound, given the systemic failure, an overhaul could be a good place to start.
*Reporting for this story was supported by Pacific Media Assistance Scheme (PACMAS)
For feedback, contact: [email protected]
Editor: [email protected]
Thank you Island Sun and editor for this very fair reporting. This is an on going issues in our schools for many years now and it’s really affects our childrens’ education.
The blame game is always there, but the truth is, they all fail, and students are the victims. Quality education means quality teachers, quality resources, quality environment, quality parents and provincial education support. Looking at the case of Bellona and Rennell as well, what makes or contributes to quality education is absent. It’s a shame because our people are very good at criticising others. Still, they forget to look at their own backyard, starting with our elected leaders who are supposed to be the backbone in developing quality education on the twin islands. If one dares to check the Renbel Provincial Budget, there is nothing allocated for education, despite having a minister and officers for education. This lack of budgetary support from the province clearly demonstrates the lack of support and seriousness to develop education on the islands. The Island Sun failed to report that there is no Form 6, no computer lab, no electricity, and no water supply as the basics to support quality education, and the provincial government must work with the national government to provide these needed support services for quality education. It’s high time that our Renbel Province and people work seriously to develop quality education in the Province to attract our elite teachers and students to return to the island of love to help.